Autumn in Zurich

It seems to have come slightly early this year but there is definately a feeling of early Autumn mellow coolness in the air. It suits me as I hate the humid weather we get at the end of August. Normally I went to Switzerland in mid-Winter but on this occasion in 1990 I caught seasonal tints on the classy Bahnhofstr where old boggie trams like this one of 1949 used to almost cheerfully sing as the clattered by sounding as though they were alive.

A tale of Morrison's, Deliberating Mormon's and a cheery farewll to the 42

These poor Mormons in Wellington are wondering why everyone is ignoring their cause as they get alight from the Tellus Transit Minibus and not caring for their spiritual wellbeing are heading for the piled shelves of baked beans and sugar saturated strawberry jam at Morrison's instead before going home for a 'nice cup of tea and nap in front of the Saturday Afternoon telly'.

5879: When Stafford went from Deckers to Saloons

Till the late Sixties when the closure of Lichfield and Wolverhampton garages brought new bus types to Stafford taking the allocation from about forty-five to about sixty single-deckers had only played a small roll. Consequently from the last series of home build BMMO saloons S21-S23 5849-5991 only two arrived new Dual-Purpose S21 5866 and bus S23 5971. But the increased fleet and a need for 'OPO' brought a few more including the very first of what was something between a bus and a DP S22 5879 which had been new to Digbeth. More of interest to me was the former Yorkshire Woollen District tow bus from Yorkshire which was a rare visitor.

DOC36V: Catch them while you can!

The Eighties was an interesting time as even though the big bus groups like First and Stagecoach were rapidly expanding to all appearances the industry was in a state of flux as it was sometimes difficult to tell what everything was. For instance to the untrained eye this former West Midlands National2 leaving Warrington might either be in the correct livery and have local branding for the Runcorn Busway or it could be one moved within what was to become Arriva but had retained North Western colours and the lettering was just a quick fix. It was of course just carrying local branding and I rather liked this bright distinctive livery soon to be subverted by that never ending aquamarine and sandstone.

Slav Mercs: Brioni of Pula

Yugoslavia was one of the more 'relaxed' communist countries and life was comfortable under the much loved General Tito whose image we can just see pressed like an icon to the first Mercedes Benz windscreen. But my father said quite rightly that once he had gone all hell would break loose with bloodshed as old tribal hatreds came to the surface. I think places like Pula and Rovinj in the north were largely unaffected by the civil war but it must have ruined the tourist trade and even the nudists wouldn't come. Secondhand buses from the wealthy Germans were commonplace but there were a few up-to-date coaches to please the visitors.

An Interesting broken Bedford at Digbeth

Parking was at a premium at busy times at Digbeth and fortunately former Yeoman's of Canon Pyon Bedford SVJ 300S looked as though it was not going anywhere finding itself blocked in between two Leylands also bodied by Duple. Heavyweights were very much the norm on demanding National Express duties so it was hardly surprising the rather underpowered and sluggish Bedford was feeling the strain of busy motorway work.

A First-PMT Lance Verde in Crewe

Some of the local area liveries chosen by the First Group were not very nice at all, but even though apart from being a bit drab and depressing I never hated what we knew as 'Barbi', but 'Barbi2' as worn on older buses was a bit of a washed-out looking mess. Fortunately a bus which would qualify First-PMT 861 at Plaxton Verrde bodied Dennis Lance was still looking pretty good in it's old PMT colours when captured at Crewe, and I'm sure a few more people might want to ride on the buses in the Potteries were they to look a bit more friendly like their own buses again.

Padane: Sightseeing in Trieste

A bit plain and less eye catching than some of their products but in the same way I'm pretty sure it's built on a Fiat chassis I believe this coach was built by Italy's best known 'carrozzeria' Padane. Shot in the early Eighties one can easily see how these continental designs were also influencing the British market.

LFH 720V Castleway of Winchcombe

LFH 720V a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard in the Nineties belonging to Castleways of  Winchcombe who had an unusual mostly black livery picks up a healthy load at Stratford on Avon on it's service to cheltenham.

For Liverpool as in Manchester Deregulation brought out the competition on former PTE services and lots of new liveries. One of the most colourful was Fareway who was operating this smartly turned out former London Park Royal bodied Fleetline B20 DMS 2425.

The Cosmopolitan Ku-damm: Once the heart of bustling Berlin

I think if I have a message on photography it's bus pictures don't have to be boring even if it means the bus just becomes the excuse. No doubt because the heart of Berlin has moved across to the former Berlin Wall to the East the once bustling Ku-damm has lost much of it's vitality, anyway at least further down. I once asked a BVG driver if the MAN airport buses were better than the  Merc 0309's like 1495 which
helped out and he replied

SCK 696P: Three Leyland Types in Wigan

Like Stockport the town of Wigan was a late retuge for theGreater Manchester half-cab Titan and I made a point of calling. But now  over thirty years later even the humdrum National Mk1's have their notch on the measure of transport nostalgia and especially with a proper name like Ribble. Wigan usually ordered Leylands but the body orders were split fairly between the two local bodybuilders with a PD2 of Massey and an Atlantean of Northern Counties showing it's rear bustle.